Quintana Roo’s Caribbean coastline is currently dealing with an unprecedented influx of sargassum seaweed, despite significant cleanup efforts. This season, cleanup crews are working tirelessly to preserve the region’s renowned beaches.
A noteworthy situation unfolded on Isla Mujeres, which received 140 tonnes of sargassum in just 12 hours between Sunday night and Monday morning. This load was roughly 10% of the seaweed accumulated over the previous three and a half months. By 5 a.m. Monday, a team comprising municipal workers, tourism providers, the Navy, taxi drivers, and civilians mobilized to clear the beach entirely in four hours.
According to Esteban Amaro, head of the Sargassum Monitoring Center, the southern areas of the state are experiencing the most severe conditions, particularly in Xcalak and Mahahual. The sargassum arrives in successive bands stretching from Punta Allen to Bahía Príncipe in Tulum.
July was projected as the peak period for sargassum this year, prompting nearly all beaches from northern Tulum to southern Playa del Carmen, and eastern Cozumel, to issue red alerts. The Navy has deployed extensive resources including vessels, containment barriers, and 400 personnel along the affected regions.
This is the fourth major sargassum cycle since 2015, and experts have labeled the 2025 invasion as potentially “the most tremendous on record.” Sargassum presents significant threats to ecosystems, tourism, and public health as it decomposes, releasing harmful gases and forming oxygen-depleted “brown tide” conditions in the waters.
Governor Mara Lezama has announced a new facility to monitor and manage sargassum, which is expected to convert the seaweed into biofuel, potentially fostering new sustainable industries and jobs.
For more detailed information, visit the article here.
- About the Author
- More info
Leave a Reply